Miracle Mongers and Their Methods: A Complete Exposé of the Modus Operandi of Fire Eaters, Heat Resisters, Poison Eaters, Venomous Reptile Defiers, Sword Swallowers, Human Ostriches, Strong Men, Etc.Houdini, Harry
History
Miracle Mongers and Their Methods: A Complete Exposé of the Modus Operandi of Fire Eaters, Heat Resisters, Poison Eaters, Venomous Reptile Defiers, Sword Swallowers, Human Ostriches, Strong Men, Etc.
Houdini, Harry
Magic tricks -- History; Magicians -- Biography
There is evidently a certain vertical component that tends to cause the
stick to descend, but the lateral pressure produces a sufficient
friction between the hand and the stick to support this vertical force
without difficulty. Mr. Perry performed the experiment by placing
himself upon a spring balance and assuming the role of the girl, with
two very strong men as adversaries. All the efforts made to cause the
stick to slide in the open hand failed, and the excess of weight due to
the vertical force always remained less than twenty-five pounds,
despite the very determined and sincere stresses of the two men, who,
unbeknown to themselves, were exerting their strength in a HORIZONTAL
direction.
In the experiment represented in Fig. 3, which recalls to mind the
first one (Fig. 1), the two men are requested to hold the stick firmly
and immovable, but the slightest pressure upon the extremity suffices
to move the arms and body of the subject. Such pressure in the first
place is exerted but slightly, and the stresses are gradually
increased. Then, all at once, when the force exerted horizontally is
as great as possible, and the men are exerting their strength in the
opposite direction in order to resist it, the girl abruptly ceases the
pressure WITHOUT WARNING and exerts it in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
Unprepared for this change, the victims lose their equilibrium and find
themselves at the mercy of the girl, and so much the more so in
proportion as they are stronger and their efforts are greater. The
experiment succeeds still better with three than with two men, or with
one man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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